Letters

Thursday, January 25, 1996 at 4 a.m.

Go ahead, touch that dial I feel like I have just lost a very good friend. I feel like I should be in the middle of some kind of "identity crisis," because I don't know where I fit in at KERA radio ["Stop the music," January 11]. I am a 47-year-old woman who loved the music that "that" radio station used to play in the daytime. Obviously, I don't belong to the "young audience" label, and I am definitely not an old "hippie or beatnik" that stuck around for the daytime music programming. So what am I? Do I even dare admit that I would sometimes channel-surf to WRR? Or that I like a lot of different sounds...including KERA?

I feel ultimately and totally betrayed by Susan Harmon, Jeff Luchsinger, Jeff McCrehan, Richie (Perks) Meyer, and the advisory panel of board members, none of whom had the guts to tell us what was going to be happening at KERA radio come 9 a.m. on January 8. It is even more maddening to read in your article that publicist Kris Martin considers the "public-broadcasting listener...a go-with-the-flow type person." If we were that simpleminded, we would not be listening to public radio in the first place. We are not a bunch of cattle easily led to slaughter! Or were we?

I hope Abby has been right, and there was one "hell of a shitstorm" this week. I feel I have been told by the power brokers at KERA that I am not smart enough or discerning enough to be able to make the decision that public radio was something of value to me. Because I enjoyed the music, as well as "Morning Edition," "Fresh Air," and "All Things Considered," I am to be shut out entirely.

That is what will happen. No matter what, they will make me change channels. Sally Meyers Dallas

Didn't take the bait I would like to take this opportunity to respond to your publication's recent review of our restaurant/bar--Lulu's Bait Shack ["Aiming low," January 11].

I want to thank Ms. Malouf for taking time to review Lulu's; however, I take serious issue with the tone and much of the substance of the article. Among other things, she took her hatchet to our name ("too cute, contrived"); our T-shirt design ("too contrived"); our location ("jinxed"); plus our decor and drinks--and finally, our food.

Obviously, she did not have a good experience with our food. That is unfortunate, and I assure you it is not the norm at Lulu's. We would like Ms. Malouf and, more importantly, the people of Dallas to know that we do cook serious Cajun food at Lulu's, and we are here to stay.

As for our concept, Lulu's Bait Shack (we like our name, by the way) was developed to provide customers an alternative to the run-of-the-mill "chain" restaurant. If Ms. Malouf calls this "aiming low," then so be it. I do think that the thousands of satisfied customers who have experienced Lulu's since we opened in November would agree that our "aim" is just fine.

Our customers are really the ones that count to us. We have been pleased with our reception here in Dallas, and continue to have many repeat customers. We must be doing something right, although you would never know it based on the tone and substance (?) of Ms. Malouf's review.

I would also like to respond to Ms. Malouf's contention that our location is "jinxed." I strongly disagree. We feel the location is ideal for what we want--a business clientele during the day for lunch, a party atmosphere at night in the bar, and a strong dinner business. Ms. Malouf surely seemed meanspirited with her opinion that "the bad spell isn't broken yet, and I predict Lulu's won't be the one to break it."

In summary, we are dedicated to serving the needs of our customers and have every intention of dishing out great food and fun on McKinney Avenue for many years to come. Will Ms. Malouf come back on our first anniversary to eat crow (we'll cook it Cajun-style) over her dire predictions for our future?

By the way, we do appreciate the fact that Ms. Malouf acknowledged her waiter at Lulu's to be "friendly," because we take great pride in our customer service. We invite the people of Dallas to come in and give us a try and to make their own evaluation of the unique food and fun we are delivering to our customers on McKinney Avenue.

Jeff Levine Owner, Lulu's Bait Shack

Go get 'em I know it...I just know it...I can feel it in my bones: Laura Miller is going to win a Pulitzer Prize for her investigative reporting of all the closed-door, public-be-damned, dishonest shenanigans going on down at City Hall--thanks to Mayor Ron Kirk, City Manager John Ware, and their crew of City Hall shysters and city-council flunkies who are willing to give away the city to a couple of multimillionaires, and thanks to the few city councilmembers who still have the integrity, honesty, dignity, and backbone (Paul Fielding, Donna Blumer, Bob Stimson, and Larry Duncan) to keep Laura informed as to all the illegal maneuverings, conflicts of interest, secret meetings, and other unethical garbage that could end up costing the Dallas taxpayers hundreds of millions over the next 30 years. How I miss the integrity of Max Goldblatt!

Go for it, Laura! Dr. Sydney Kay Dallas

Victims helping victims About Christina Swann ["Swann's song," December 28, 1995], specifically Mr. Jeff Veazey's letter [January 11] in which he says that his Dallas Tenants' Association had lots of complaints on her, etc: He criticizes Citizens for Legal Reform (CLR), calling it "a bully pulpit where every whiner...can rail," but then says he's sure that CLR would have helped Swann's allegedly victimized tenants (?).

I know Christina and CLR; I don't know Mr. Veazey, and I don't know his alleged victims. What disturbs me is this: Why haven't all (or any) of those "victims" taken Christina to small-claims court and gotten the judgments that they would supposedly be entitled to? And why hasn't Mr. Veazey helped people to do just that, if Christina really is breaking the law? Those courts are easy to use.

And about CLR: Mr. Veazey is right about getting help--persons who think they have a legal problem can attend and share experiences and ideas with others. CLR is an information exchange forum--you have to take the info and then use it yourself.

Mr. Veazey, maybe it's you that should start using the system. Come to CLR and find out how to help your members help themselves. I look forward to visiting with you there.

R.B. Melton Jr. Denton

Acquitted for naught In reference to the case of Sam Krasniqi ["Talking trouble," December 28, 1995], it seems obviously wrongful and a violation of his rights and those of his wife to be harassed so seriously. If they were an ordinary white couple living in North Dallas and had been acquitted of wrongdoing, I am sure that their children would have been returned to them.